Distribution centers and backrooms of product distribution and/or storage facilities are often buzzing with multiple forklifts manned with forklift operators. The safety of such operation often depends on the experience of a forklift operator and the care taken by the forklift operator during freight lifting and moving operations. In addition, the forklift route throughout the facilities is typically determined by the forklift operators during use. A disadvantage of such systems is that safety issues arise when numerous forklifts operated by numerous forklift operators are operating within a space where blind spots and/or other obstacles exist. In addition, reliance on human judgment to determine the routes of the forklifts throughout the facilities often do not result in optimized movements of the forklifts throughout the facility during operation.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.